A New Face
by divine miss h
Summary: this is a re-posting of an old fic...chandler goes off to war...monica is left at home...r/r
1. A New Face

A New Face  
  
*Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, blah, blah, blah...   
  
Author's note: This story takes place during World War II. I don't know where the hell it came  
  
from but I decided to write it down before it left. Monica and Rachel are 16 and Ross and  
  
Chandler are 18. I don't know how or if Phoebe and Joey will fit in. Oh yeah, now I remember  
  
where this came from...I was looking at my grandparents' wedding pictures and listening to  
  
stories about my grandma's childhood. Anyways, enjoy!*  
  
Monica Geller sat on the worn out chair in the Geller family's Woodlawn (Bronx...that's  
  
where my grandma's from) home. She was bent over her favorite book in her extended library:  
  
Gone With the Wind. There was something about the story that made her feel safe. Sure, the  
  
United States was far from the war that was raging through Europe, but this book transported her  
  
to another time and place all together. She was lost in the romance between Scarlett and Rhett  
  
when her mother's voice interrupted her.  
  
"Monica? Where are you?"  
  
"In here, Mom," Monica responded, closing her book, slightly irritated.  
  
Her mother breezed in, gloves, jacket, and hat in hand. "Honestly, Monica," she said,  
  
pressing her lips together, "We'll be late for Ross's graduation."  
  
Monica sighed and stood up, smoothing her solid black skirt and adjusting her silky  
  
cream blouse. She wasn't exactly excited about Ross's graduation. Everything Ross did was  
  
perfect, and his graduating valedictorian of Mt. St. Michael's class of 1941 was just the icing on  
  
the cake.  
  
Monica sat, half bored to death, in the stuffy auditorium. As she listened to Ross drone  
  
on and on about making the most of the future, her thoughts drifted back to the  
  
salutatorian...Chandler something or other. She had no idea if his speech was any good, all she  
  
knew was how cute he was. In fact, she thought he was better looking than Clark Gable. She was  
  
so wrapped up in these thoughts that she didn't even realize Ross was finished with his speech  
  
until the roar of applause exploded from the audience. She jumped slightly, praying that no one  
  
would notice.  
  
When it came time for Ross to get his diploma, she suddenly realized how happy she  
  
was. Ross would be going away to school, which meant she wouldn't have to put up with him  
  
and his perfect existence...except for the holidays. She cheered loudly as his name was read,  
  
happy to get rid of him.  
  
"Oh, Ross, we're so proud of you!" Judy said as she hugged her son.  
  
"That's my boy," Jack said, patting Ross on the shoulder.  
  
"Thanks," Ross said, slightly embarrassed. Monica stood quietly and only offered her big  
  
brother a smile, which he didn't acknowledge.  
  
"Congratulations, man! We are leaving this place forever!" Someone shouted, coming up  
  
from behind Monica.  
  
"Oh, Mom, Dad, Mon, this is Chandler," Ross said as Jack took Chandler's hand in a  
  
handshake. "Chandler, these are my parents, Jack and Judy Geller, and my little sister Monica."  
  
Monica smiled at Chandler, instantly realizing that he was the cute salutatorian.  
  
"A pleasure," he said, shaking their hands. "So, you're Monica? Ross has told us so much  
  
about you."  
  
"Us?" Monica asked uneasily. She didn't like the thought of being the main topic of  
  
conversation at an all boys school.  
  
"Just some of his friends...like, 4 people," he responded, flashing her a smile that made  
  
her go weak in the knees.  
  
"Let's go, man. Danny's party is starting soon," Ross said, prying Chandler away from  
  
his family.  
  
"Well, it's been a thin slice of heaven," Chandler said, waving as Ross dragged him  
  
away.  
  
As Chandler walked with Ross towards Danny Kennedy's house, his thoughts drifted  
  
back to Ross's little sister. Ross was so wrong when he described her. How anyone could even  
  
try to describe her was beyond him. There was something about her...she was magical. Her eyes  
  
lit up when she smiled. Just the thought of her smile made Chandler crack a goofy grin.  
  
"You okay, Chandler?" Ross asked, interrupting Chandler's thoughts.  
  
"Yeah...I'm just so happy we graduated."  
  
Two weeks later, Monica was sitting on the front porch, reading Look magazine, when  
  
her best friend, Rachel Green, bounced up the stairs.  
  
"Hello, Monica," she said, flopping down next to Monica, pulling off her red hat.  
  
"Hey," Monica said, distractedly.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, pulling the magazine out of Monica's hands.  
  
"Nothing, I was reading."  
  
"Look? You were reading Look? You hate Look."  
  
"I just thought I would...broaden my horizons."  
  
"Anyway, Katherine and I were wondering if you would like to go the movies with us,"  
  
Rachel said, knowing how much Monica loved the movies.  
  
"I can't," Monica replied shortly.  
  
"Fine, see you later," Rachel said, putting her hat on and walking off the porch, almost  
  
running into...Chandler.  
  
"Sorry," Rachel said, moving out of his way and continuing down the street.  
  
Chandler walked onto the porch and over to Monica, who was once again engrossed in  
  
the magazine. Chandler stuck his hand in her field of vision, visibly annoying her.  
  
"Hey!" she exclaimed, looking up. Her aggravation disappeared when she saw that it was  
  
Chandler. "Chandler, hello," she said, suddenly aware of her disheveled state. She slipped her  
  
feet into her shoes and laced them up as he watched her, slightly amused.  
  
"No, you don't have to do that, I'm not going to be here long," he said, sitting down next  
  
to her. She sat straight up and stared at him.  
  
"Then why are you sitting down?" she asked, regretting how rude she sounded the second  
  
the words left her mouth.  
  
"Fine, I'll leave then," he said, in mock sadness.  
  
"Chandler, I was only fooling," she said, exasperated.  
  
"Thought so."  
  
"Sooo, what's new?" she asked, trying to be pleasant company.  
  
"Is Ross home?"  
  
"No, he's at work...the library."  
  
"Oh," Chandler replied, suddenly embarrassed to be with this beautiful girl.  
  
"So, are you guys going to do something?"  
  
"Nah," he replied, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"So..."  
  
"So..."  
  
"Do you think Roosevelt will have us get involved in the war?" Monica asked, catching  
  
him off guard.  
  
"I don't think so...unless we're attacked. But I don't like talking about that."  
  
"All right. Have you read any good books recently?"  
  
"Yes, I did. I just read The Good Earth, by..."  
  
"Pearl S. Buck," (I did a whole thesis on the literature written during the Great  
  
Depression, so I'll be busting out w/ this kind of stuff throughout the whole story.) Monica  
  
finished, surprising him.  
  
"You read it?"   
  
"It's one of my favorites," she said, looking into his eyes.  
  
"I prefer The Grapes of Wrath myself," he said, smiling at her. "Ross was never a fan of  
  
Steinbeck. He prefers Dickens."  
  
"I always found Dickens too verbose," Monica said, smiling at Chandler's shocked  
  
expression.  
  
"Really? So do I."  
  
"Ross and I had many augments about Dickens and his writings. I must admit, however,  
  
that A Tale of Two Cities is an excellent book...it just doesn't compare to Gone With the Wind,"  
  
she said, her eyes lighting up as she spoke.  
  
"Gone With the Wind?"  
  
"It's my favorite...Scarlett and Rhett's romance..." she sighed, a dreamy smile on her  
  
face. She blushed slightly when she realized that Chandler was staring at her. "I'm sorry," she  
  
said, gazing at the floor. "I'm just a sucker for romance."  
  
"Oh, it's fine," Chandler said, smiling at her when she looked up again. She was again  
  
embarrassed and looked at her feet. He put his thumb and index finger under her chin, lifting her  
  
face up to look into her clear blue eyes. He leaned in and kissed her...her first kiss.  
  
Monica was surprised when she felt his lips softly brush against hers, but she kissed him  
  
back, allowing the kiss to become more passionate. After several minutes, they broke the kiss  
  
and smiled at each other.  
  
"I'm...sorry," Chandler said, standing up.  
  
"For what?" Monica asked, a confused look on her face.  
  
"Absolutely nothing," Chandler said, leaning in and kissing her again.  
  
From that point on, Monica and Chandler were often together. They began dating the  
  
following month, their shared interests and opinions in literature often providing the reason for  
  
some heated debates. On Sunday, December 7th, 1941, their argument was interrupted by  
  
something unexpected.  
  
"How could you possibly say that Anthony Adverse was better than Gone With the  
  
Wind?" Monica asked, ignoring the lull of the radio.  
  
"It has a much better storyline. Didn't you ever get sick of Starlett's fickle personality?"  
  
"No, she is one of the best-written female characters ever. And she wasn't fickle...she  
  
was independent."  
  
"Like you?" Chandler asked, smiling at Monica. She smiled back at him and leaned in to  
  
give him a kiss. They were kissing for a minute when the song that was playing ended abruptly.  
  
They stopped kissing and stared at the radio, when an announcer came on.  
  
"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news. The Japanese in a predawn  
  
surprise attack have destroyed the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. I repeat. The White House has  
  
confirmed that the Japanese..." the announcer droned on and on, but those words stayed in both  
  
their minds. Anyone could have figured out that meant war was near. War... 


	2. A Huge Decision

A Huge Decision  
  
*Disclaimer: This is a continuation of A New Face. I don't own these people, although I wish I  
  
did. Mwahh ha ha! Anyways, for those of you who, like me, have the attention span of a marble,  
  
let me bring you up to speed. This takes place during WWII (that's right, that was that big war  
  
that ended when Einstein split the atom and killed millions of Japanese). Anyway, Monica and  
  
Chandler were making out when they heard that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. It is  
  
now several weeks later, war has officially been declared, and Chandler is set to make the  
  
biggest decision of his life.*  
  
This is dedicated to all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and all those who've  
  
lost their lives fighting for what they believe in.  
  
As Chandler walked down the street towards the Geller's house for Christmas Eve  
  
dinner, he was fighting a war in his mind. He knew that the war meant that he should leave  
  
college for the time being and go fight those damn Japs and Krauts. (I know it's totally un PC to  
  
say that, but I didn't make it up) He didn't understand what was bothering him so much, but he  
  
tried to shake it off as he walked up the stairs and rapped on the door. He was a little surprised  
  
when Ross, who was away at college, opened the door.  
  
"Ross! How are you?" Chandler asked, shaking Ross's hand. Ross surprised Chandler by  
  
embracing him in a hug.  
  
"Chandler, why the handshake? You're practically family," Ross said, releasing  
  
Chandler. He smiled as Monica came downstairs and gave Chandler a kiss on the cheek. As  
  
Monica pulled away, Chandler thought he saw tears in her eyes. Before he had the chance to ask  
  
her what was wrong, Jack and Judy came over to him, and hugged him. They all sat down in the  
  
parlor, an uneasy silence filling the room.  
  
"So, Chandler, how are you?" Judy asked, her voice uncharacteristically shaky.  
  
"I'm fine, Mrs. Geller," he said, unaware of her shaky voice. He turned to Monica and  
  
offered her an uneasy smile, once again noticing the tears in her eyes.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I have to check on supper," Monica said, standing up and going into  
  
the kitchen. Chandler glanced at the family and followed her in. She sat, slumped over in a  
  
kitchen chair, sobbing miserably. She didn't realize he was there until he knelt next to her and  
  
began stroking her hair.  
  
"Mon, sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked soothingly.  
  
"He's leaving, Chandler," she said softly, "and...I'm..." a sob cut off her words.  
  
"Oh, sweetie, it's going to be fine," Chandler said, hugging her. "I'll be here." Although  
  
he said it, he didn't know how true it was.  
  
Monica's head snapped up when he said that, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. "No...you  
  
won't," she said in a strong but slightly shaky voice. "I don't want you to stay." Chandler fought  
  
back tears as he embraced Monica in a hug. "I'll be brave, Chandler...but you must be braver. I  
  
want you to go." She pulled back and looked lovingly into his eyes.  
  
"Oh, sweetie, let's think about happier things now."  
  
"Okay," she said, wiping her tears away.  
  
"Okay," Chandler responded, kissing her cheek. He knew why Monica was so upset, but  
  
it was a little awkward for him, Monica was so strong, and here she was... It was just an odd  
  
situation.  
  
The rest of the evening and holiday season was just as odd. The entire country tried to  
  
celebrate the joyous occasion, but the war overseas that their boys would soon be going to cast a  
  
shadow so large that no one could escape.  
  
Chandler sat on one of the lavish Queen Anne chairs that his mother, Nora Bing, had  
  
selected for their overly decorated home. He was trying to decide how to break the news to  
  
Monica...call or go see her. After much debating, he stood up, scribbled a note to his aloof  
  
mother, should she return that evening, and put on his coat, along with the matching hat, scarf,  
  
and mittens that Monica had knit for him. As he struggled through the snow and winds, he  
  
thought about what he was about to do, and the love he had to leave behind.  
  
Chandler remembered back to happier times with Monica, well aware that his time with  
  
her was limited, the days were few and precious; the future uncertain, the present a time of  
  
confusion, the past only a memory. But what memories they were.  
  
*Flashback: July 25, 1941, Monica and Chandler have been dating for a month*  
  
Monica sat on her bed, bent intently over her diary. She wrote feverishly, quickly filling  
  
several pages.  
  
What would my life be like had I not found Chandler? I know I have only known him for  
  
a short while, but he makes everything better. Even before we began going together, he made me  
  
feel special, intelligent, and loved. Although I know my parents love me, my mother and  
  
occasionally my father don't show it. I guess I should be used to it by now, but Ross is a tough  
  
act to follow. It's like everything he does is perfect, and everything I do, no matter how hard I  
  
try, is flawed. But it's not like that with Chandler, he makes everything I do perfect, he makes my  
  
life perfect...  
  
As she was finishing up, she heard a knock at the door, causing her to jump. She snapped  
  
her diary shut and hid it in her drawer. She got up and opened the door seeing her mother,  
  
impatient as ever, on the other side.  
  
"Monica, dear, Chandler's here."  
  
Monica's eyes lit up as she replied, "Thanks, Mom." She breezed past her and down the  
  
stairs, excited about spending time with Chandler. She smiled brightly at him when she reached  
  
the foot of the stairs, where he was standing. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he kissed her  
  
softly on the lips, whispering, "You look so beautiful."  
  
Monica blushed when he said this, but returned his soft kiss happily. "Thank you."  
  
"No, thank you. You'll be the most beautiful girl at the theater," Chandler replied,  
  
looking at the beautiful girl in front of him. He smiled at her, took her soft hand in his own and  
  
led her outside.  
  
As Monica sat down next to Chandler in the dim cineplex (it felt like a cineplex  
  
moment), she realized how lucky she was. Not only was Chandler sweet and smart and funny  
  
and had a whole list of excellent qualities, he let her pick the movie. Being the Bette Davis fan  
  
she was, she chose her newest movie; The Little Foxes.  
  
As Chandler held Monica's small hand in his own, he realized how lucky he was to have  
  
such a sweet girlfriend. He kissed her on the cheek before settling back in the chair and tried t  
  
concentrate on the movie, but to no success.  
  
Knowing that Rachel would want a full review and analysis of the movie, Monica tried to  
  
pay attention to the movie, but was distracted by thoughts of Chandler. They weren't  
  
inappropriate thoughts (get your mind outta the gutter), but they gave her a warm squishy feeling  
  
inside. She turned to face the subject of her thoughts, whose blue eyes were focused on her, and  
  
gave him a sweet kiss, which grew a little more passionate before they broke it, a little  
  
embarrassed at their display of affection.  
  
*August 4, 1941: a dance hall; Monica & Chandler are there, along w/ Ross & Rachel  
  
(yes...they're together...but it's only mentioned a lil bit...im not God or nething)  
  
"Oh, Mon, you look so beautiful!" Rachel exclaimed, looking at her petite best friend,  
  
resplendent in an ivory blouse and red skirt and jacket combo.  
  
"She does, doesn't she?" Chandler responded, draping his arm around Monica's  
  
shoulder. He, along with Ross, was in zoot-suit over-drive.  
  
"Thanks, Rach...." Monica began, but stopped when Ross leaned down to kiss Rachel.  
  
Monica looked up at Chandler and made a face. The song the band was playing ended, and when  
  
they started a new one, Monica dragged Chandler out on the dance floor. She smiled at him as  
  
they began dancing together. (i dunno what they're doin...lets jus say the lindy and shut up about  
  
it...i luv u...lol)  
  
Chandler allowed a small smile to creep across his mouth as he and Monica began  
  
dancing. He usually didn't go dancing, as he was terrible at it, but dancing was one of Monica's  
  
favorite activities, so he stuck it out. He had to admit that, although he was still a far cry from  
  
being the next Fred Astaire, he was getting much better.  
  
Monica and Chandler danced the whole night through, loving every second of it. The last  
  
song of the night was a waltz, the only dance that Chandler was actually good at. He held  
  
Monica in his arms, and everything just felt right. In one moment, he saw himself marrying  
  
Monica, having children with her, and growing old with her. He knew what he had to do.  
  
"Monica," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
Monica took a step back and looked into his eyes, which were brimming with tears. She  
  
fought back tears as she said, "I love you, too, Chandler." She looked up and kissed him softly.  
  
*Back to 1942, Chandler is walking up the steps of the Geller house*  
  
Those were special times, but he still knew that he had to go. He had to protect his home,  
  
his family...he had to protect Monica.   
  
"Chandler! Hi," Monica said, opening the door, letting him into the warm house. She  
  
took his wraps, hung them in the hall, and led him into the parlor. Chandler sat down on the sofa,  
  
gesturing that Monica sit beside him. He took her small hands in his own and looked into her  
  
sparkling blue eyes.  
  
"Monica..." he began, unsure of what to say. "Monica, I've...decided to enlist.  
  
*AN: im sooooo sorry it took so long...but maad shyt wuz goin down...ill try to be faster next  
  
time...r&r pleez...dont flame unless u really hated it* 


End file.
